Historic Districts Act

The act authorizes local governments to establish historic districts, setting out the prerequisites for creating a district, the process for enlarging, reducing, or amending its boundaries, and the study committees and commissions that carry the work out. Within a district, exterior architectural features may not be altered, and buildings may not be constructed or demolished, without a certificate of appropriateness, non-applicability, or hardship issued by the commission, which acts on applications after public notice and hearing and weighs a defined set of factors; building and demolition permits are withheld until the required certificate is obtained. Ordinary maintenance and repair, along with certain categories of structures or features, may be placed outside that review, and commission decisions may be appealed to the superior court, which also has jurisdiction to enforce the act and impose penalties.

Editorial summary generated from the text of this act. It is not part of the statute — read the sections below for the operative language.